The new book Black Women's Mental Health: Balancing Strength and Vulnerability (SUNY Press, July 2017) creates a framework to positively impact Black women’s wellness. Editors Stephanie Evans, Kanika Bell, and Nsenga Burton build a framework based on the expressed need for the concept of balance in mental health assessment and practice. Their “BREATHE” model values characteristics of both strength and vulnerability.

Dr. Evans, a professor of Black women’s intellectual history, Dr. Bell, a psychology professor and psychologist, and Dr. Burton, a media scholar, team up to survey historical and contemporary Black women’s narratives of health and freedom. They present a chorus of voices that exchange perspectives on race, gender, and wellness. This collaborative project brings together wellness workers who build on a longstanding history of creative approaches to improving Black women’s health.

Mental Health Resources

Balancing Strength and Vulnerability

BWMH Book & Authors

This Black Women's Mental Health website offers research and resources to inform and increase essential dialogue about African American women's wellness. This collaborative exchange connects students, faculty, practitioners, and activists to resources like the Black Women's Health Imperative:

The Black Women's Health Imperative is the only organization devoted solely to advancing the health and wellness of America's 20 million Black women and girls through advocacy and public policy, health education, research and leadership development. Founded as the National Black Women's Health Project in 1983 by health activist and McArthur genius Byllye Y. Avery, the Imperative works to advance health equity and social justice for Black women across the lifespan.